


For Various Reasons

by FoxSaintJust



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Gods are Mortals, Melancholy, Stalking (more mentioned than shown)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-06-08 06:37:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15237561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxSaintJust/pseuds/FoxSaintJust
Summary: Moments in the life of Hades, who could really learn how to address situations with clarity instead of hiding behind "reasons" preceeded by an everchanging adjective.





	1. Fraternal

 

_I shall never be very merry or very sad, for I am more prone to analyze than to feel._

_Howard Phillips Lovecraft_

 

 

Overall, Hades Theopoulos would consider himself a stable, realized man. His studies in Forensic Science would make some people quiver at the idea of dissecting a corpse – even if that is just a single part of his job – but it’s exactly the course of studies that he has wanted to follow since his childhood. It has also had the side effect of landing him into an apartment with Anubis, a fellow student, and Mictlantecuhtli (Mic for friends, thankfully), who is studying in order to follow his own father’s footsteps in leading a funeral home. What might seem a macabre company to an external eye is actually a bliss for someone as fussy as Hades: clean, socially adjusted flat mates who regularly pay their part of common bills and don’t keep the rest of the building awake for the whole night in their most intimate moments.

As for that part, Hades is still single and not exactly a golden bachelor but he likes to think that someday the right moment will come without forcing it too much.

All in all, everything seems to be slightly monotonous but fine.

That is, until one morning he opens the door to find that the doormat, the “ _Oh shit, not you again_ ” one bought by Anubis years ago, the one that hasn’t change place during the years except for a periodic cleaning, is nowhere to be found. Disappeared. Without a trace. _Verschwunden_.

Not having much time to dedicate to it, Hades merely thinks that one of his mates has decided that it was time for it to be cleaned. He heads out of the building, expecting to find the doormat when he’ll come back home that afternoon.

Instead, when he comes home he finds Mic at the kitchen table, unusually serious, with a yellow envelop in his hands.

“What’s that?” Hades asks, wondering what could make his friend so worried.

“I found it taped to the door when I came home,” explains Mic as he hands out the envelop to Hades.

Hades notices that Mic has already opened it but the fact that his friend hasn’t told him the content yet makes him suspicious. Carefully, he lifts the torn lid and peeks inside.

What he sees fills him with puzzlement. The envelop is filled with dark ashes, something that hasn’t burnt well at all. A closer inspection makes Hades shiver with creeping fear: among the cinder he finds the charred remains of yellowish fibres that smell of burnt synthetic fabric.

And, among them, something that fills him with terror: leaves of mint.

“Does this mean anything to you?”

Mic’s voice seems to come from miles away but nevertheless manages to shake Hades enough to make him sit down and talk. “I think I know who has done this.”

And so he starts explaining about a party in which he was dragged by Anubis after the end of their first year, since he, in his friend’s words, needed to “remember what it was to be among the living”. It might have been for Anubis’s hints on how to dress, which Hades had unenthusiastically but faithfully followed by wearing the Unknown Pleasures t-shirt that had lingered too much into his drawer, or it might have been the alcohol in which Hades indulged in one of those oh so rare occasions, but he managed to strike a conversation with a girl. Minthe, that was her name, and of course she studied Botany.

Spurned by Anubis, Hades went out a few times with her but it never led anywhere. There was nothing wrong with her, or so it seemed at the time, nor with him. Hades has never thought to be an expert in romance but he could recognize when there is no passion between two people. So he hoped for them to become friends but, after hearing nothing from Minthe apart from her needing time to think about it, he concluded that they would have been better apart.

Then, months after the party, Hades came back from an exam to find out that Minthe had got to their apartment and Anubis had had to endure an unpleasant conversation at the intercom with her. The thing went on for few times, becoming a progressively more unsavoury mixture of threatening, pathetic and ludicrous, until Hades went straight to her and told her to stop harassing him or his friends if she didn’t want to end up in trouble. And so Minthe went out of his life.

Or so it seemed.

As soon as Anubis gets back home, he’s told what has happened. The three unanimously decide to tell the police the whole story, which turns out to be less ridiculous than Hades expected and more creepy as the events unfold in his words.

Minthe ends up with a restrictive order and the obligation to pay for the damaged goods, with the judge hardly suppressing a laugh when mentioning the doormat, something that makes Hades feel uneasy, although only for a moment.

More humiliated than relieved, Hades expects his flat mates to show him the door for the whole ordeal and is actually surprised when, the day after the sentence, they tell him to count on them should that woman ever try to come back.

Friendship is saved, although the romance has been knocked down various pegs and Hades comes to wonder if it’s actually worth it to have a relation at all. One night stands aren’t something for him, not to mention that they would multiply the possibility of crossing paths with another stalker. And so, slowly but progressively, Hades comes to think that his destiny might be similar to that of the protagonist of his favourite Joyce’s novel – outcast from life’s feast.

Then, some months before his graduation, his brother Poseidon calls him and says that he might have found an ideal date for him.

“A friend of Nerites – he says she wouldn’t be scared by the fact that you carve bodies like chicken and, from what I’ve been told, she’s been dumped by this guy, Adonis whatsoever, and the last thing she wants is a tacky relationship.”

Hades keeps it diplomatic even after Poseidon promises him that they won’t be alone as he would make them meet at his birthday party, so there would be plenty of distractions in case it didn’t work. After closing the call, Hades keeps ruminating about it, wondering if he should accept. He could do it just to make his brother happy, but that could cause more trouble. On the other hand, it’s not that he can’t show up to his party, nor can he avoid a single person the whole time.

He sighs, feeling entangled in something he doesn’t know how to escape from. Anubis and Mic don’t seem to have such problems, but the few time he asked them for help, they would always end up telling him to just be “natural”. And you can’t force yourself to be natural, can you?

But, in a moment of suddenly found determination, Hades thinks that you can force yourself to accept something as simple as an invitation. _You have seen the liver of a victim of cirrhosis, for Pete’s sake_ , he tells himself as he picks up the receiver and composes Poseidon’s number.

“Hi, it’s me again.”

“Glad to hear you after so much time,” is Poseidon’s immediate reply “So I am expecting you to come, right?”

“Well, given my record with relationships, I was tempted to say no but I think that I could enjoy a party and follow the well-intentioned plan of someone whose judgment I trust. For… fraternal reasons.”

“A simple yes would have been okay, but thanks. Show up Saturday whenever you want and don’t worry for the present. Oh, and, just to be sure, bring a swimsuit. It’s going to be a pool party.”

It’s one of those moments when Hades regrets that he cannot comment the situation with a well-placed “you bastard”.


	2. Postural

Slim, pale and provided with a relevant pattern of black body hair, which however doesn’t manage to fully cover the scar on his left forearm, Hades would rather avoid places like beaches and swimming pools. From time to time, however, he accepts to be dragged there as a favour to a friend, especially Mic, who doesn’t just want to get tanned – he directly basks.

So far, however, things have gone rather well. Thanks to some other people who aren’t eager to get into the water he still has his polo shirt on. Poseidon is moving around endlessly, trying to talk with everyone, making his acquaintances know each other and those other things that extroverted people manage to do with little to no effort. Even Zeus is being incredibly acceptable. He can be responsible when he tries and with a limited amount of alcohol.

Speaking of alcohol, Hades thinks that he could have another beer. Poseidon will insist on having his brothers spend the night by him anyway, so he doesn’t have to worry about driving.

It’s probably the best decision, he concludes as he grabs a closed bottle and searches for the opener. The right amount of booze will help him dilute among the crowd, and he knows when to stop to avoid making a fool of himself. If only he could find that opener…

“Do you need a hand?”

Hades turns around and sees a young blonde woman waiving a car key.

“Yes” he says “I was looking for the opener but I can’t find it anywhere.”

“Don’t worry for that” she says, taking the bottle and placing it on the table. She makes a lever of the key and makes the cap pop away with a promising fizzle.

“Thanks. I didn’t know that trick.” Hades is lucky enough to find a nearby pile of solo cups. “May I… well, serve?”

She handles him the bottle with a pleased smile.

“I’m Aidoneus, by the way” he says as he fills the first cup. “But everyone calls me Hades. I’m Poseidon’s brother.”

“Yes, I was thinking that you look a bit like him,” she replies. “I’m Persephone. Persephone.”

_Alright, she’s probably the one that Poseidon wanted to introduce to you. Don’t mess it up. Just be yourself but not too much._

“It’s a pleasure,” he says, handling her the cup before filling up his own. He tries to be as smooth as he can, but it’s more difficult than usual since he’s quickly noticing how beautiful Persephone is. There’s something in her green eyes that is almost mesmerizing.

“Same for me.”

“I think that we might have met before” he asks in an uncertain tone. He’s lying and he knows it, but he has to keep the conversation going somehow.

If anything, she seems to second him. “Could it be? Maybe at university? Lately I’ve been so caught up in exams that I’ve started to forget anything else.”

“That makes two of us,” he replies “Well, I’m studying Forensic Science. And you?”

“Biology. So… you work starts where mine ends.”

_She seems to have a good sense of humour too._

“It seems so. But I’m sure that you have studied your load of awful things, right?”

Persephone takes a sip. “A lot.”

“Nature always finds ways to creep us out.”

“Indeed. So, you’re Poseidon’s brother.”

“Exactly.”

“I haven’t asked him yet because I don’t know him very well, but is he…”

“… homosexual?” Hades interrupts her before realizing what he’s just said, not that his attempt at making up for it fares much better. “Or is there another word to use? I don’t know… he’s dated women as well, for a period at least… gosh, who knows what happens in the locker room of his team. Not that I would investigate it, but…”

_Just cut it._

“… modern, I suppose we can say that he’s _modern_.” He then proceeds to empty his own cup in a single take, mainly to hide the completely self-made embarrassment on his face.

Persephone seems puzzled and bemused at the same time. “Actually I was going to ask if he’s the Poseidon Theopoulos in the national diving team but… I’ll take _modern_ as an answer.”

The amusement in her voice gives Hades some hope. “Anyway, yes, he’s the one in the national team. Do you dive too?”

“No, I’m not really one for water sports. When I have more free time, I like to go hiking, but right now I have to make do with yoga in the park. And you?”

“Does walking to the campus count as a sport?” jokes Hades while admitting to himself that his neck and back are becoming more and more stiff as his graduation approaches. “But I recognize that I should be more active and sooner or later I will give up and try yoga as many have suggested me to do. For… postural reasons.”

Persephone finishes her own drink. “Well, in case you’re interested, there’s a group that gathers in Hesperides Park a couple of times a week. I try to take part as much as I can, so…”

“I would be glad to try,” Hades replies before his anxiety can make him doubt about accepting what really looks like, if not a date, a prelude to a date.

The rest of the party goes, appropriately enough, swimmingly. It’s only when the party is over and he’s preparing to sleep that Hades starts worrying about the many ways, each one obviously painful, in which he could block, twist and tangle himself during the first yoga lesson.


	3. Intellectual

Despite the initial diffidence, Hades starts to like yoga halfway during the lesson. Hesperides Park is lovely in the early morning light and the instructor seems to be competent – as far as Hades can surmise, at least. No blabbing about New Age stuff or weird types of “energy”; instead she gives careful instructions about how to move and breath, which Hades is managing to follow overall easily.

The only difficult part is about emptying the mind. Putting effort in letting thoughts slip is paradoxical by itself and Hades cannot avoid thinking about things in general, and some in particular. The family meal he had last Sunday, for example. Nothing went really wrong, or at least differently from the usual, with Zeus being loud and their mother keeping a polite veneer of indifference about Poseidon’s relation, yet there was a tense moment after Hades said “We should pay a visit to our father”.

In the silence that followed, he added “We haven’t done it the last month.”

Then everyone else simply nodded and his mother replied “I will organize for next Saturday” before the subject simply seemed to vanish…

“… and gently push yourself up into the striking cobra pose.”

Hades opens his eyes and notices that he has to catch up with the new pose. He hoists himself up, pushing on his forearms, and arches his back.

And that’s the moment where the pain strikes. The too-familiar reminder of the stretching he should have done with more regularity, as if Anubis nagging about it wasn’t enough. He starts breathing deeply and heavily, wondering about every terrible injury that could have just happened. Maybe somehow will notice him and call for help…

“And this concludes our lesson for today. Thank you all for taking part to this beautiful experience. I hope to see all of you again next time. _Namaste._ ”

_Please don’t Namaste away, I’m in pain here and…_

“Is everything alright?”

Hades immediately recognizes the voice coming from behind. He didn’t notice Persephone except for a couple of times, when he was turning for a new pose. What a great way to start a conversation.

“Maybe,” he answers. “I fear that I have blocked my back somehow.”

“Oh, I see.” Persephone comes in front of him. “It happens sometimes. You felt pain when you curved your back, right?”

“Yes?”

“Ok, now you should breath slowly and deeply.”

Hades complies, trying to ignore the pithing sensation that keeps pulsating at the centre of his back.

“Now try to undo the movements. Lower yourself and straighten your back, very slowly.”

Following the instructions, Hades feels his back loosen a bit until he hears a small, familiar _crunch_ that announces the end of his ailment. He stands up and finds himself facing Persephone, who seems to have found actual relaxation in the lesson.

“Well,” he hesitates “Thanks for your help.”

“I couldn’t let you there,” she replies “You could have ended up eaten by some bichon.”

Hades lets out a rare chuckle. “The horror. I should find a way to repay. Perhaps a coffee? Actually I don’t drink coffee, I’m more for tea, but maybe you prefer coffee. I’m sure we can find a place in which they serve both.”

He wonders if he’ll ever manage to not get himself so caught up when talking with her, but once again Persephone doesn’t seem to mind. “I prefer tea as well. Maybe you can tell me when you find the right place.”

She quickly writes a phone number on a Post-It and handles it to Hades, who gives it a peek – just to be sure that she isn’t fooling him – before saying: “Yes, of course. I will phone you as soon as I can… I mean, as soon as I find the place.”

Feeling unusually energetic that day, Hades works through the whole morning, writing paragraph after paragraph for his thesis, and near midday he takes time to find the right place. It turns out that there is a nice bar somewhere halfway between his apartment and Persephone’s home. He pays a visit there in the afternoon for a survey: the place is clean and quiet and there is a rather large choice of tea, which is surely better than the scarce collection he keeps in his apartment and that would benefit of a refill.

He spends the rest of the afternoon between checking what he has written in the morning and piling up the courage to call Persephone. When he does, he manages not to get caught up in what he says and gets what he would really like to call a date – even if it’s actually a quick meeting for a cup of tea – for Friday at five o’clock.

When he sits on the couch that evening, his worries about the thesis have been overwhelmed by those about Friday. His notes lay abandoned at his side, he leans his head against the board and wonders if he’ll ever be able to empty the mind like the instructor has said that morning.

He hears the steps that he recognizes as Anubis’ and few moments later he feels fingertips gently massaging his temples.

The first time it happened, he almost jolted from his seat, unused to Anubis’ liberal approach when it comes to personal space, but it didn’t took him too long to recognize the benefits of that kind of approach.

As usual, Anubis starts working carefully on Hades’ temples in order to loosen up what he considers a tangled mess. “And I thought that yoga made people relax,” he comments as he makes little circles with his indexes.

“It did,” replies Hades, failing to keep a stern tone in his voice as he closes his eyes and feels that the tension is starting to unravel. “It’s the rest of the day that was… hectic.”

“About that, when is the date?”

The silence that comes from Hades is enough as an answer. “Your temples are more stiff than usual,” explains Anubis as he moves to his friend’s scalp. “And your scalp betrays you even more.”

Hades would like to reply with his usual sarcasm but he feels that the tension inside him is starting to melt and decides against spoiling that moment. The pleasant sensation starts from the top of his head and pours down to the base as Anubis scratches symmetrically down the way. Eventually, as Hades finally answers "Friday", he can feel that his hands and arms are relaxing as well, and that his heartbeat is slowing down to a calm pace.

However, even in this situation neck and shoulders are a sore spot. “You look like a dough,” comments Anubis as his fingers trace firm lines at the sides of his friend’s vertebrae. “And, to be completely honest, you also have the same consistence.”

“Then we could buy a cat and let him knead on my neck – agh, that hurts a bit.”

Anubis starts digging with his thumbs. “And where are you taking her to?”

“Nothing special. We’ll just have tea.”

“That sounds great – there’s a lot of rigidity here – tea makes everything more intellectual.” He clutches Hades’ trapezes and leans closer. “You know what would go well with it? Poetry.”

Hades lets out a little hiss that dies when his friend starts rubbing from the neck to the shoulders. “Tea and poetry seems a bit too much.”

“You don’t have to discuss it. Just make a subtle quote and see if she has the same taste. Would you mind to…”

“Oh, right.” Hades bends a bit over so that Anubis can keep massaging his back. “But I fear that I’m more for prose.”

“Come on, you must have some poetry books in your library.”

Hades tries to recall some titles, which isn’t easy in that particular moment. “Well, there is a copy of _De rerum natura_ in Latin. And there is a collection of Lovecraft’s works that Clio bought me when she visited the United States. It contains _Fungi from Yuggoth_. I like those sonnets.”

Anubis pats him on the back, signalling that the massage is over. “Very well. Now you just have to catch up with two millennia for Friday.”

Hades leans back against the sofa. “You’re as terrible with jokes as you’re good with massages.” He lets out a relaxed sigh. “I should call Clio and ask her to lend me some book, and maybe give me two or three suggestions about which poets would be better to keep a conversation going.”

He looks above and sees Anubis giving him a sardonic look.

“For intellectual reasons, of course.”

“Of course.”


	4. Image-Related

On Thursday, Hades to get a proper haircut and a close shave. In order to spare money, he would usually trust Mic’s hands, but this time he needs someone who has practiced on people who move, talk and overall are still alive. That, and the joke of having Hades keep a rosary entwined in his fingers wasn’t funny from the start.

 _Catholics_.

The hair salon run by Absalom and Tamar Sternberg seems like the proper place. Absalom is a weird individual, with a luscious, almost leonine mane of impeccable wavy hair, and who talks endlessly about how hair reflects our health, how modern fashion is merely recycling older concepts and when his father and his elder brother ventured into Israel for affairs while he and his sister were absolutely against it.

As Absalom’s story unfolds and his black hair gets trimmed, Hades thinks about Tolstoy and unhappy families. Then he starts thinking about poetry: Clio has been of great help but time hasn’t been on his side. Most useful of all were her suggestions about not feeling forced to like the same things that Persephone likes, as literary tastes can be extremely personal.

“She must know who you really are if you want her to like you,” she’s said.

Hades tries to focus on that while repassing some authors and verses that he could quote in an ordinary situation. Deep down he knows that he cannot plan a conversation, but he would like to know as many different developments as possible so that he could be ready.

The shave ends way before he can make his mind up, and Hades is pulled away from his train of thought by the balmy smell of the lotion that Absalom rubs onto his cheeks and throat.

“Here we are. Like a baby.”

When Hades gets back to the apartment, he hears Anubis’ voice from behind the sofa. “Do I smell kerosene or someone has been grooming himself?”

Hades glances at his friend sprawled on the sofa, his hair in a desperate need of a trim. “The second one, and you should do the same.”

“I would like to try a wilder look.”

“With your hair, you’ll end up looking like Donna Summer,” says Hades as he gets back to his paperwork.

“At least I won’t stay up the whole night worrying about a cup of tea.”

Hours later, as he’s desperately trying to catch sleep, Hades decides that, no matter how much his eye bags will betray him the following morning, he’s not letting Anubis know that the latter has got the last word.

As the sun rises, however, their banter becomes the last of his thoughts. Hades coasts through the morning with relative nonchalance, except for the moment where Mic points out that he’s wearing his t-shirt inside out, something that Hades would normally freak out about. Thankfully, Mic is way more merciful than Anubis and doesn’t go on with any kind of teasing.

At ten to five Hades is sitting at a table for two in the bar, running a panicked eye up and down the list of teas and tugging at the collar of his polo shirt. When he finally sees Persephone entering the bar, he stretches his lips in a smile before realizing how awkward it must be, so he settles for greeting her with an awkward hand wave.

“I hope I’m not late,” she says while sitting in front of Hades. “I haven’t been here yet.”

“I’ve been a couple of times,” says Hades, trying to sound as smooth as he can “I like their choice of teas.”

“And they don’t keep the volume of the radio so high.”

“And they don’t keep a TV on with the audio turned off at the same time.”

“Yes,” she agrees. “I thought I was the only one to be bothered by that.”

“I think that mankind would be surprised by how many things bother all of us.”

As the waitress stops at their table, Hades still hasn’t made up his mind, so Persephone is the first one to make an order. “I’ll have a pomegranate tea.”

“I didn’t know there was such a flavour,” comments Hades. _And I have checked that list at least fifty times, I should have noticed._ “Well, I’ll have one too.”

“So,” ask Hades after the waitress has left “Did you have fun at the party?”

“Yes, I even dared to dive into the pool at some point _and_ I avoided getting sunburnt.”

She smiles as lot, Hades notices, and in a natural way. He still doesn’t understand if she’s just being polite or if she’s really enjoying being there with him, but it seems like a good start.

“I must confess that I have been a coward instead,” he says. “Besides, Poseidon spends enough time in the water for me as well. And for Zeus too.”

“It must be funny, having two brothers.”

“Only if you’re not the eldest. And you, do you have siblings?”

“No, only child. But I always thought that I would have loved having a younger sister or a brother. I would have spoiled them, probably.”

The waitress brings a tray with a kettle, two cups and a small array of teabags along with the two pomegranate-flavoured ones. As the hot water in the cups takes a reddish hue, Persephone goes on: “Then I did some babysitting and I realized that being an older sibling isn’t as easy as I thought.”

“It can be even worse,” says Hades. “Imagine enduring not another, but _two_ other young males going through puberty.”

Persephone starts chuckling, only to stop when she sees someone over Hades’ shoulder.

“Is everything alright?” he asks.

“Sort of,” she says, trying to hide from someone. “My ex just walked in. Please don’t turn around.”

Hades complies as Persephone starts fidgeting with the teabag string. “Feel free to say no but, should he come here, may I ask you to pretend to be my… well, my boyfriend? For…”

He finishes the sentence for her. “For.. image-related reasons, of course.”

“Exactly. Thanks.”

Just few seconds later, Hades hears someone behind him saying “Well, if it isn’t _Persy_.”

Persephone’s lips stretch into a frozen smile. “Adonis. So nice to see you.”

Hades turns around and sees some kind of athlete standing in front of him, with a T-shirt tightened on his chest and the looks of a model. Suddenly, the idea of playing the role of the guy who Persephone chose over _that_ sort of man becomes oddly satisfying.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything” says Adonis. “Oh, but I’m being rude anyway. I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Adonis.”

And he stretches out a hand, which Hades shakes only to find his own hand trapped into a vise. Nevertheless, he keeps a straight face as he replies “Hades. Nice to know you.”

“We were celebrating our first month together,” says Persephone, her voice tainted with annoyance.

Adonis freezes for a moment before replying with a simple “Oh.”

Hades takes the opportunity to twist the knife further. “Yes, we met at the park during a yoga lesson. And we decided to do some practice at home. On the mattress.”

Probably because of the uttermost seriousness with which he says the last two words, Adonis can’t help but start laughing. “Now, that’s… that’s…”

He doesn’t end the phrase because of another fit of laughter.

It must be Hades’ lucky day because the radio starts playing the first notes of that song by Sixpence None The Richer.

_Kiss me out of the bearded barley…_

“Darling,” Persephone says suddenly. “Our song.”

Hades takes the cue immediately and does his best attempts at a lovely gaze. “Oh, the memories.”

Thankfully, Adonis takes the cue as well because he clears his throat and says, “Well, I’m not making you lose any more time. It’s been good to see you, Persy. Hades.”

After he’s left the bar, both Hades and Persephone start laughing.

“Oh dear,” she says “On the mattress. You’re a genius.”

Hades manages to suppress his laughter. “The trick is to keep a straight face, as the good old Keaton teaches.”

They finally drink their tea, which turns out to be more pleasant than Hades thought. Persephone explains that Adonis has always been quite jealous, especially after that time they got sick from eating wild boar stew and he started thinking that Persephone’s mother was trying to poison him. She ends saying that she owes Hades another cup of tea at least.

Incredibly, he manages to turn it into a dinner, and without quoting any verse.

When Hades gets back home, he finds Anubis sporting a short haircut, a neatly trimmed beard and a look on his face that begs for details.

“So,” asks Anubis while checking what they could have for dinner “How was it?”

Hades stops before answering because of a pain resurging in his right hand. “I’ll give you all the details in change for a small favour.”

“What kind?”

Hades stretches out his right arm. “Can you massage my hand, please?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has left kudos and/or comments. As you may have noticed, I don't update in a constant way because I'm writing the fanfiction chapter by chapter as currently I don't have much spare time; however I won't be abandoning this story, so don't worry.


	5. Familial

The wait before the visit is, as usual, filled with silence and uneasiness. Few hours before, Hades thought that the yoga lesson in the park would help him get through the day but, as he’s sitting with his family – his brothers, his mother and his grandmother Gaia – he feels that it has only slightly helped his back.

He didn’t even have the chance to talk with Persephone. He excused himself saying that he had to go “for familial reasons” while promising that he would take her to a nice place the following Friday.

A doctor lets them in, giving the usual recommendations and updating them about how Kronos’ situation has progressed since the last visit.

“The new treatment has been effective so far, but we still have to keep the situation in check…”

Hades feels nervous as they wait for his father to join them and, in a paradoxical attempt to calm down, he tries to recall the diagnoses and treatments that have been proposed during the years.

_A pervasive pattern of dissociative states, post-traumatic stress and violent outbursts… possible schizophrenia… manic-depressive disorder with hallucinatory states…_

During the years, Hades has come to the progressively more stalwart conclusion that things will be much easier for mankind when mind will be as dissectible as bodies. He would like to elaborate more on that subject but, when his father sits down right in front of him, all thoughts escape from Hades’ mind, replaced by a mixture of fond memories and underlying fear.

“Hello, Father.”

Kronos appears to be on a good day. Despite his gaunt appearance (“If all those stupid pills don’t kill me, their food will”) and the white uniform, he can still project an aura of authority on his sons; yet, at the same time, his face is relaxed and there’s a clear look in his eyes.

It seems impossible that the same man, just few years ago, was sinking his teeth in his firstborn’s arm, biting with a strength that could have torn away the flesh from his bones.

“Hello, dears.”

* * *

When Hades gets back home, he finds that Anubis has left a post-it onto the door.

_Set and Osiris are at it again so I’ll probably be away until tomorrow. Call me if you need anything. A._

Being reminded that he’s not the only one with a troublesome family brings Hades little to no relief. The visit went well, that’s true, but how long will it be like that? Will they release his father only to have him brought back there again?

Thankfully, Mic is there to save his friend from spending the rest of Saturday pining in that gloomy apartment. Winning Hades’ initial reluctance, he takes Hades out for one of the best remedies ever known to man: ice-cream.

Childish as it seems, and even if summer is slowly fading away, licking that cone eases Hades’ thoughts enough for him to talk with Mic about the visit and even about what concerns him about his father’s treatment and progression. In change, Mic gives some new gossip about the web of cousins that makes up most of his family. At the end of their walk, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca’s antics don’t seem too different from those of Osiris and Set, and the two guys conclude that parents will always be a pain to deal with.

Eventually, after dinner Mic offers Hades to come with him for drinks but the latter politely declines, being too tired and needing to spare money for Friday. After reassuring Hades that they have a designated driver, Mic leaves.

_Here you are, Hades, enjoying your Saturday night as you like it: alone, ruminating and broke._

Really, some days Hades would love to pick his own brain apart. And he’s not “broke”, he’s just parsimonious.

He ends up taking a beer from the fridge and drinking it in front of _Operation Petticoat_ , whose VHS is part of a survival kit for lonely evenings. Once the film has ended, he switches to an episode of _X-Files_ he has already seen and doesn’t even notice that he’s drifting off to sleep.

He wakes up when he hears someone slowly opening the door. He gets up from the couch and sees Anubis closing the door with the same care before taking off his shoes. In the dim light of the TV, his friend looks even more tired than his face already shows.

“Hi,” says Anubis “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”

“No problem,” replies Hades “How did it go?”

Anubis yawns before answering, “Set lit up a fire in the trash bins _again_. Osiris got to him before anyone else could and they ended up with one black eye for one and a broken nose for the other. And I’m so damn tired of patching things up between those two.”

He flops down onto the couch. “How is your old man?”

“I think that he was on a good day,” says Hades.

All of a sudden, Anubis starts chuckling. “Ever thought about switching families sometimes?”

“Oh, no. I could never take you away from the pleasures of a flaming bin.”


	6. Professional

Hades has thought of many verses to quote at the right moment during the dinner. He hasn’t had the time to storm through the whole thesaurus of Western poetry but, should the situation need for some suggestion, he thinks that he could drop the proper line and make the atmosphere magic or, at least, start a good conversation.

However, as the dinner progresses, the conversation seems to go smoothly by itself – that is, until a certain subject comes to Persephone’s mind.

“I haven’t thanked you enough for saving my face with Adonis,” she says as they are choosing the dessert.

“Actually don’t think that you needed any rescue,” he replies as he wonders what he could order. “But I’m still wondering about that food poisoning you mentioned.”

He seems to notice that Persephone is tensing up at hearing about that incident, so he adds, “For… professional reasons, of course.”

“Of course,” she repeats. It’s not clear if she’s buying it or, more likely, if she’s just trying to play it cool as Hades has just done. Anyway, she goes on to explain more in detail than the last time: “Well, it wasn’t only Adonis who was jealous. My mother has always been very protective of me. Adonis was my first boyfriend and she seemed to like him, at least at the beginning. But then something started to sour between them, even if I didn’t notice it at the time. And then, one evening, after a dinner with his family, everyone started feeling sick and it seemed that the wild boar stew made by my mother was to blame; which was strange, because I had never seen her making a single mistake when preparing a meal.”

The incoming waitress interrupts her stream of words. “I’ll have… the crème brûlée,”  says Persephone.

Hades, who hasn’t paid much attention to the desserts, adds “Well, I’ll have one too. Thanks.”

After the waitress has left, Persephone concludes “So there was this big clash between my family and Adonis’ and then we broke up.”

“Not exactly the best way,” comments Hades.

“True. But at least I’ve managed to get a bit of free space from my mother, which I consider a great step forward.”

Hades nods. “Parents can be… unpredictable.”

_You know, Hades, sooner or later you’ll have to tell her._

As much as he hates admitting it, the voice in his head is right. However, he has to be delicate in introducing that argument. “For example, my father is… paranoid.”

Persephone gives him a quizzical look. “Paranoid?”

“About many things.”

“I thought that having only sons would have been easier for a father.”

“Not really. After all, you can find problems anywhere if you search deep enough.”

And then the verses come, slipping from his mouth before he can think if they are right for the situation. _“God help the dreamer whose mad visions shew / Those dead eyes set in crystal gulfs below.”_

“Excuse me?”

Hades realizes what he has just said. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about this sonnet and…”

“No, I mean, I like it. It’s a bit weird but good. Is it yours?”

“No, I wish it were mine. It’s from Lovecraft. _Fungi from Yuggoth_.”

“Weird title. I keep repeating _weird_ , sorry.”

“No problem. Actually, he’s known for his _weird tales_ , so it’s only appropriate.”

“I must admit that I don’t know him.”

The desserts arrive just before Hades starts explaining the basics for understanding the Solitary of Providence. Persephone listens and seems interested. By the time he pays the bill, Hades feels an unusual sensation inside himself. Although it dwells in his mind just for some faint moments, he thinks that perhaps he won’t end up as the Solitary of Athens after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! It's a short chapter but I wanted to let you know that I'm still alive. I hope to write more frequently in the next weeks, so don't worry. If there are Lovecraft fans among you, and I hope there are, you will surely know that he based the fictional planet Yuggoth on Pluto, so I thought it was appropriate to have Hades being a fan of good old HPL.


	7. Experimental

It happens in the music shop, with almost no forewarning, as Hades is looking for _Blue Wonder Power Milk_ , wondering why there isn’t a shelf only for trip hop yet, and Persephone has just finished listening to Terpsichore – a new clerk with bright fuchsia hair – about “the new Britney’s album being, like, so wow”.

The first notes of a familiar song start playing in the shop.

_Kiss me out of the bearded barley…_

Since there are no other customers around and Terpsichore isn’t playing particular attention, Hades realizes what it should happen in the next moments when Persephone comes close to him, humming along with the song.

_It’s happening. Don’t screw it up_.

Of course, Hades knew that is was going to happen, sooner or later. And, of course, he feels paralyzed.

“Hades…”

“Y-yes?” he asks nervously, trying not to gulp as he shifts his gaze between two different rows of albums.

“You know, the song doesn’t last that long.”

_Do you really need your brain to tell you to just let that happen? What are you, a walking Super-Ego?_

It cannot be that difficult, he tells himself. He would have done it with Minthe, hadn’t she been so crazy. If he recalls correctly, there was one time when alcohol helped – but then again, that time was something entirely different and not something that he wants to bring up right now…

And then it happens. For what’s probably the first time in his life, Hades gives in and stops thinking. Short-circuit. He only has the presence of mind to take pride in his regular use of mouthwash.

And it seems that Persephone uses the same brand.

It’s not clear how much it lasts, but the song is still on when they part lips. Hades feels flabbergasted, the only assessable reaction being a gulping void in his stomach, at least until he hears Persephone chuckling.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says “But I think I have to change my lipstick.”

Realizing what it means, Hades instinctively passes a hand on his lips. Then his stomach falls silent and he thinks that, if she has actually kissed him one moment before, then he can afford being cocky just for once.

“Maybe I can help you take off the rest before you buy a new one?”

It’s only when they go to check out and see Terpsichore’s dreamy eyes that they see the exact spot in which they kissed on the display of the surveillance monitor.

* * *

“Someone has got to first base.”

Anubis’s comment makes Hades turn towards the couch where his friend is sitting. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve never heard you whistling before,” Anubis explains without even shifting his eyes from the TV.

“Do you keep a dossier about me or what?”

“As if it wouldn’t flatter you. But I haven’t heard you questioning my conclusion, so…”

Hades lets out a sigh, knowing where the conversation is heading. “Yes, we got to first base.”

“I knew that!” Mic yells triumphantly from his room before getting to the living room. “To think that Anubis said that you would get to second base straight into the music shop.”

“You guys really need to find a different hobby,” comments Hades. “I hope you didn’t bet any money on it.”

“I was going to,” says Anubis “Only because I have faith in your abilities. Anyway, was this one better than the last time?”

_There we are._

“Much better, indeed.”

Anubis puts on a fake pout. “She must be a real looker, then. I could be jealous.”

“There are also other factors to consider. For example, she’s a woman and we were both sober, not like when Mic wanted us to try kerosene.”

This time is Mic who pretends to be offended. “How _dare_ you badmouth the tequila and triple Scorpio mix whose recipe has been passed through generations in my family? And, if I remember well, the bottle was almost empty by the end of the night.”

“It was for experimental reasons, of course.”

“I didn’t mind the experiment that followed either,” says Anubis jokingly. “Do you still use the same mouthwash?”

“You’ll never find out,” replies Hades.

“My my,” says Mic “Our little Hades has become a grown man. The world is changing so fast these days. What’s going to happen next? They’re going to ban Yawgmoth’s Will?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case someone doesn't know Magic The Gathering, Yawgmoth's Will is an infamously powerful card that was banned from almost every format of the game around the time the story is taking place. Appropriately, this card allows you to play cards from your graveyard.


	8. Experimental (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a flashback that details some of the events discussed in the previous chapter. Maybe there will be a third part as well.

A Saturday evening following the end of exams should be the perfect moment for celebrating with a big party, unless of course the outer world is engulfed in a fog so thick that you cannot see the other side of the street from your window.

“It looks like we’re stuck here tonight,” is Mic’s dismayed comment as he fills the dishwasher.

“So much for timing,” says Anubis before clasping his hands and adding “Well, our plan was to get wasted and I don’t see why fog should stop us. How much fuel do we have?”

Hades takes a peek into the fridge. “Alas, only two beers.”

“Only two?”

“Yes. On a side note, we should remember to buy some actual food as well. I can’t believe that we’ve survived for a week on cereals, turnips and canned tuna.”

“I call it our greatest triumph so far.” Mic starts the washer and adds: “That seems the right moment for some emergency remedy.”

He opens the window and grabs a bottle that has been on the balcony for several months without being opened or even moved up to date. “There it is.”

He hands the bottle to Anubis who gives it a dubious look before screwing the lid open and giving an inquisitive sniff. “You know, Mic, I wasn’t talking about _real_ fuel.”

“Do I have to take it that you’re too much of a pussy to stand a completely innocuous tequila with just the tiniest addition of Scorpio?”

“Who did you call pussy?”

“Do you think that will be enough for three?” ask Hades.

“It should be enough for six, I think. But since we haven’t drunk anything else…”

“It could be worth a try. You know, for… experimental reasons.”

“Ok,” says Anubis. “It would be funnier with some chick involved but whatever. I suggest a film marathon until alcohol gets the best of us or vice versa.”

The others two agree immediately and, in the span of the next five minutes, they are sitting on the couch as the opening titles of _Evil Dead_ start running on the screen. Mic fills three shot glasses and suggests “Gulp it down before it makes a mess on your tongue.”

Hades follows the instructions but it still doesn’t save him from what seems to be a dozen of fires on different points of his mouth.

“Don’t go for water,” says Mic, who doesn’t seem particularly fazed. “Just let it go down. After the first one, the others will be much easier.”

And he’s right. The second shot leaves some burning as well but Hades feels like his tongue has already been desensitized a bit. By the time the first film is over, so is the first half of the bottle.

“We should… we should slow down a bit,” suggests Mic, his voice slurred as he checks the bottle while Anubis puts on the second VHS, having some trouble moving in a straight line from the couch to the TV set and back.

The suggestion is welcome but it lasts only for fifteen minutes. With the end of the second movie, there’s only two or three fingers of tequila left in the bottle.

 _Army of Darkness_ doesn’t even see the recorder, as the three of them are way too dizzy to focus on another movie.

“See? We’ve managed to get wasted anyway,” comments Mic, flipping the bird to the opalescent foe outside the window “Suck on this, fog.”

Anubis starts laughing – he’s actually been laughing at everything in the last ten minutes – while Hades lets a laugh seep through his closed teeth, sounding like a hyena.

Mic stands up from the couch, waving his arms a bit too much, and says in a slurred voice, “Well, I’m calling it a night. You guys have been great. Normally, people give up after the first two shots. I’ll tell Mama that you’ve liked the present.”

Keeping one hand on the wall as he gets to the room, he blurts out a “Goodnight” before disappearing behind the door of his bedroom.

Hades yawns and rubs his face with his hands. It looks like Anubis needs some help to get up from the couch. Getting up slowly and unsteadily, Hades stretches out his hands and waits for the other to clasp them in the firmest way he can muster up.

However, Anubis doesn’t put any further effort into getting up, being a complete deadweight instead. Hades tries to pull but his drunkenness and the not-so-sports-oriented diet of the last week make him fail miserably and fall on top of his friend.

Thankfully they don’t bump their heads together. As Hades tries to get up, Anubis starts laughing again and comments, “I can smell your mouthwash even now”.

And then Hades feels something against his lips.

And then he realizes that it’s another pair of lips.

His mind goes blank. The sensation is so alien, so distant from everything he knows that he has no idea how to react. He doesn’t pull away when he starts leaning down onto the couch, with Anubis on top of him.

The kiss is actually more tentative than anything else. Alcohol has anesthetized the mouth and makes everything dizzy. For some reason, Hades finds himself running a hand through his friend’s hair. Suddenly, Anubis breaks the kiss but doesn’t say anything, nor does he move. Instead, he simply places his head on Hades’ chest and starts snoring.

Hades feels too tired and astonished to move and, in a desperate hope of waking up the next day and find out it was just a dream, lets himself succumb to sleep, but not before a thought manages to pass through his mind.

_So that was my first kiss._


	9. Experimental (Part 3)

When Hades wakes up, his head is hurting and he has to squeeze his eyes shut because the sunlight, freed from the fog banks, is stabbing them. He then realizes that two things are standing on top of him: Anubis, still asleep from the night before, and a Post-it that someone – Mic, of course – has left on his forehead.

_I’m out for a walk. Took a bunch of photos. Cuties._

Taking Anubis off of him is not as easy as with that piece of paper. Hades gently nudges his friend’s head and calls his name five times before Anubis decides to open his eyes and let out some slurred curses about his stiff neck. Finally, he looks at Hades and says, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, sunshine. Would you mind to get up?”

“Yes, yes, give me just one moment…” Anubis tries to get up and roll away from the couch at the same time and it works enough to get him up and standing, although with a rather evident headache. Better to leave him some time of blissful ignorance before talking about last night, Hades thinks.

It’s only twenty minutes later, when both have sat at the table and started eating something solid, that Hades tries to face the question, if “facing” means pointing the spoon at Anubis and starting with a prolonged “Soooooo…”

He’s surprised when Anubis interrupts him. “About last night.”

“Oh. Yes.”

“We kissed.”

“So you remember that.”

“It’s a bit blurry but yes. And since I’ve woken up in the same position and with the same clothes I had when I fell asleep, I don’t think we took it further.”

In any other situation, Hades would comment on such analytical prowess but right now it’s one of the moments he fears the most: he doesn’t know what to say. He only manages to parrot the last phrase. “No, we didn’t took it any further.”

Silence falls again until, in the most clichéd way possible, both speak up at the same time; and of course it continues as much as clichéd when both tell the other one to speak first.

“Okay,” says Hades. “Actually, it was… it was my first kiss.”

“Oh. Well, it was my first kiss… with another guy.”

“And… ?”

“Hades, what’s the big problem? It’s a completely normal thing. People do stupid stuff when they’re drunk. When girls do it, they call it _experimenting_ , and it’s hot. Me too I’m hot when I drink, just not that much.”

“Anubis…”

“Ok, you’re hot as well. Slightly less than me.”

“Anubis, I only wanted to make sure that you don’t like…”

“… boys?”

“Me. Because I’m afraid that I could not reciprocate that kind of affection.”

Anubis breaks in a laugh that stops abruptly when the hangover aches make him clutch his own head. Once he has calmed down, he says, “Don’t worry about that. I’m not interested in guys and, even if I were, I wouldn’t want you as a boyfriend.”

“I don’t know why but that last part sounded way too harsh.”

“Let me finish. I wouldn’t want you as a boyfriend because I need a brother. I mean, a brother that I’m not obliged to pay visit to.”

Hades feels like his chest has become ten times lighter and that the sides of his mouth are raising in an oh-so-rare smile. “Now that’s the kind of affection that I can reciprocate. Especially when it comes to biological brothers. Awful.”

“Woah, someone has cracked his annual smile. It’s like seeing a comet.”

Anubis gets up and squeezes Hades into a hug. “Well,” he says after breaking it “We have spared enough money from last night to grab food somewhere.”

“Agreed,” says Hades “Or would you dare to eat cereals again? You know… for experimental reasons.”

They both start laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends our long flashback. With the new years there will be more chapters. Meanwhile, I wish you all a happy 2019!


	10. Medical

Dr. Asclepius places the stethoscope against Hades’ chest. “Inspire slowly and deeply… and now let it all out.”

Hades complies, worrying about what the doctor could tell him.

Instead, he gets some questions.

“So, you were saying that last night you felt a weight on your chest.”

“Yes.”

“It was difficult to breathe, you felt tension in your whole body, and it seemed like your blood pressure was rising too much.”

Hades makes sure to add every detail he can think of. “And my heartbeat too.”

“Was the tension constant or more rhythmic?”

“More rhythmic.”

“Sweat?”

“Yes, at some point I was sweating as well.”

Asclepius takes off the stethoscope from the skin of Hades’ chest, much to the latter’s relief. That little metallic circle is always cold. “You can get dressed. I think I have the right diagnosis.”

As Hades is buttoning his own shirt, Asclepius sits down and asks “One last question: were you alone when this happened?”

There comes the detail that Hades has tried to omit since he entered the study. Not that he would lie, he would just prefer to skip that part. Anyway, he feels compelled to answer, “No, I wasn’t.”

Asclepius merely gives a nod. “Let me guess: you were with your girlfriend.”

“Well, yes…”

“And you weren’t playing backgammon, I think.”

“… no.”

“So, last night you were having sex…”

“Protected sex, I would like to point out.”

“Very well. And during sex you accused the symptoms of a suspect heart attack.”

Hades nods awkwardly. “Yes, and I would like to exclude that diagnosis for… well, for medical reasons.”

“Of course.” Asclepius makes his pen click a couple of times before saying, “There are two good news for you. The first one, judging by your family history and your current anamnesis, is that you surely didn’t have a heart attack and are unlikely to have one in the near and distant future.”

“That’s great. But what could have caused those symptoms?”

“And here comes the second one. Judging by your current age, your normal sexual development and the fact that you were having sex, I think that you merely experienced what the medical community calls…”

Hades feels fear creeping on again. “… a stroke?”

“An orgasm.”

A couple of seconds pass in absolute silence before Hades comments with a simple “Oh.”

“Most people utter that word during those events, just a bit louder.”

Hades clears his throat, trying to chase a sudden, unpleasant lump. “I don’t understand how it could be my case. I mean, I’ve already experienced those… events, even if they were by myself, and I’ve never felt that way.”

“How would you describe your past instances?”

“Well, some tension, a little surge in my heartbeat but nothing serious, and a light sense of relief once it was over.”

Asclepius seemingly ponders on the question for a couple of seconds before replying, “That’s probably because this one was an actual orgasm.”

“Really?”

“It could have been a mild case of sexual anhedonia. There are many possible causes behind it, including repetitiveness in sexual activities, stress, lack of sleep…”

“I think I’ve got it.”

“But it seems like you’ve been able to move past that part, which is a good thing. My suggestion to avoid reverting to the old situation is to remove the causes of anhedonia. You should try finding more time to sleep and making small pauses to relax when you study. Even five minutes are enough.”

Hades gives a quick nod. “Alright, I can do that.”

“And a bit of physical activity would be great. Outside the bed, of course.”

“Of course.”

Asclepius claps his hands once in satisfaction. “Apart from that, you are a perfectly healthy young man. So, have fun in a responsible way. If you need more information, there are some leaflets about STDs in the waiting room.”

Later that day, Hades is home, ruminating on the risks of syphilis which are being explained in rather painful detail, when Mic enters the apartment and, without even greeting, asks: “So, how was your first time?”

Hades feels choking as the leaflet falls from his hands. “How… how do you…”

“Well, let me see,” says Mic while closing the door. “Exhibit A, someone has dropped a handout about gonorrhoea on our doorstep. Exhibit B, I saw Persephone leaving this morning and she seemed quite jolly for such an early time. Exhibit C, last night I heard you moaning _It’s my first time_ for three minutes straight. It was disgusting.”

“Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still alive, don't worry!


End file.
